Tritons Take it to Five Sets but Fall to No. 16 Cal State LA

Related Links

LA JOLLA, Calif. - Down two sets to none, the University of California San Diego women's volleyball team came back to even the match up, but ultimately fell in five against 16th-ranked Cal State LA Tuesday night at RIMAC Arena.

With its third-straight loss, UC San Diego dropped to 5-7 overall and 1-5 in CCAA matches. Cal State LA remained unbeaten at 13-0 and 5-0.

UC San Diego showed why it is ranked 13th nationally in blocking, holding a 9-3 advantage. The Tritons have out-blocked their opponent in nine of 12 matches and have been out-blocked just once. Middle blocker Jessica Rieble and outside hitter Cindy Tran each had five blocks, while middle Micah Hammond posted three. Rieble ranks 14th in the country in blocks per set (1.3).

The Tritons spread the points around with Rieble, Tran, and outside Gina Cortesi amassing 11 apiece. Cortesi had a team-best 11 kills and libero Susanna Limb led the team with 21 digs. Setter Brie Severino (San Diego/Torrey Pines HS) notched her third double-double with 28 assists and 10 digs.

Both teams hit under .200 with UC San Diego finishing at .186 (47-18-156) Cal State LA at .195 (68-32-185).

The Golden Eagles were aggressive from the service line, totaling 11 aces but committing 17 errors.

Karla Santos led all players with 26 kills. She added four aces and a solo block to finish with 31 points. Setter Kelsey Molnar racked up 60 assists, 13 digs, and four aces, while Mickayla Sherman had 15 kills, 15 digs, and three aces. Jeshmarie Suarez had a match-high 27 digs.

It was the second-straight nationally-ranked team the Tritons took on as they played then-No. 5 (now No. 2) Cal State San Bernardino this past Saturday.

Tuesday's match was the first UC San Diego athletic event in a newly-renovated RIMAC Arena. The venue upgrade includes new seating, a 50-foot wide video board, a VIP skybox, state-of-the-art LED scorer's tables, and a video production suite.

About UC San Diego AthleticsWith 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles, and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in the summer of 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's pre-eminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 80 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 36 have earned prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarships. In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.

Follow the TritonsFor complete coverage and information regarding UC San Diego Athletics, follow the Tritons online at UCSDTritons.com and through social media on Twitter (@UCSDTritons), Instagram (@UCSDTritons) and Facebook (UCSDTritons). For more information on UC San Diego Women's Volleyball, follow on Instagram (@UCSD_wvb).